I recently ran a giveaway on my Instagram account to giveaway a bottle of Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2019, plus the chance to taste the wine on Zoom with Dr. Laura Catena herself. I am a big fan of Catena Wines and I jumped at the chance to collaborate with Laura and with her brand. Laura has just been named Woman of the Year by The Drinks Business Magazine. She is a vintner and physician, splitting her time between San Francisco and Argentina. Founded in 1902, Bodega Catena Zapata is known for its pioneering role in resurrecting Malbec and in discovering extreme high-altitude terroirs in the Andean foothills of Mendoza, Argentina. Laura is a physician, managing director of Bodega Catena Zapata, and the founder of Catena Institute of Wine. She is the fourth-generation vintner in the family (at least in Argentina), plus two more generations back in Italy, where most Argentine’s are descended from. Myself included! My family on my paternal grandfather’s side originally comes from Potenza, Basilicata in the south of Italy, whereas my paternal grandmother’s family on one side goes back generations and generations in Argentina, as far back as we’ve been able to trace. Our giveaway winner is Jacob Stensberg, the newly appointed Artistic Director of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, who has been my client for many years. Bottom line, there are lots of connections here for me, between Argentina and my work with LGBT non-profit organizations. Such a treat! Let’s taste the wine! Let’s start with this stunning bottle. Four female figures can be found on this label. Eleanor of Aquitaine represents the birth of Malbec. She is a strong, Old World presence, lingering at the bridge in Cahors, where Malbec came into its own. Next, the Immigrant symbolizes the movement to the New World and the unknown explorers and adventurers who connected Europe with the Americas. Phylloxera personifies the death of Malbec in the Old World, which enabled its rebirth in the new. Finally, there is Bodega Catena Zapata, represented by Adrianna Catena, who depicts birth, earth, and motherhood, sharing the riches of the New World. This wine is rich, opulent, and elegant with grapes coming from Old Vines from the Catena Zapata Family Vineyards, Nicasia and Angélica. This wine is a prime example of elevated, elegant, and complex Malbec. A far cry from most people’s experience with more value-priced, easy-drinking Malbec. This is a special bottle! I asked Laura: how do you describe Malbec? This is paraphrased from her response: Malbec is exuberant with lots of aromatics, a dark color, and density. But what’s so interesting about it, is that with all that in mind, the palate is smooth like a Pinot Noir, but with great power and concentration. The velvet glove, she says. A perfect description if I ever heard one. I invite you to grab some Argentine empanadas, a bottle of Malbec, and tune in to Malbec: The Musical. You heard it here first!
Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2019 $119.99 (Mendoza, Argentina)
